Oath of Blood
by Vintage Lover Who
Summary: "There were rumours of changing times in the vampire world, not that we cared, but my dreams weren't leaving my mind at ease and the nightmares were starting to get uncomfortable..." Vlad & Stefan find themselves in the middle of a new dispute, one that could change their existence forever. Action, romance, humour and lots of Rated M stuff.
1. Chapter 1: The times they're a-changing

_Alright everyone, this is the first work I dare to submit, so I hope you all enjoy it. I'm not a fan of Twilight, I'm not even a fond of it; I only saw two of the movies (the first and the last) but read all of the books. That was all I needed to hopelessly fall in love with Vladimir and Stefan, and of course, shipping them. So as a fan of the pairing and after reading most of the wonderful works on them available here, this is my contribution to the Vlad/Stefan universe. Enjoy and please don't forget to review, I'd very much appreciate it. Have fun!_

* * *

I had a dream, such weird dream. I dreamt I was running away from something…or perhaps towards it. Then there he was, all covered in blood, his throat ripped apart, and his eyes slowly losing life. I woke up with a squirm; my breathing raged and sweat wetting my body. I slowly crawled towards mi mate's chamber just to find him there, lying down. I could tell by his expression he wasn't resting either but I couldn't risk him seeing me there, watching his sleep so I slowly headed back to my room, trying to find sense to everything that had happened recently.

There were rumours of changing times in the vampire world, not that we cared, but my dreams weren't leaving my mind at ease and the nightmares were starting to get uncomfortable. They were even worse than the ones I got after everything had ended. I stopped and wondered for a minute if Stefan would be feeling that way too, like the times were changing again, but after a few minutes I realised my question would sound stupid for him, always keeping his temper under control. I entered my room and stood by the door for a few more minutes, breathing in the scent of the old walls that surrounded me. They no longer felt safe…

* * *

Stefan layed awake in bed, staring at the ceiling. Not that he was the sleeping kind but recently, concealing sleep had been particularly hard. He churned around in bed until he had to go do something else because he definitely couldn't fall asleep. He could hear his mate's raged breathing, his groans and squirms, knowing fully well he was having nightmares. Deep inside he wished he could get up and comfort him, try to wake him up just to tell him it was alright, that he was there for him…it all sounded ridiculous as hell. Stefan turned right, sharpening his senses and paying attention to Vladimir's noises, which was quite altered by that moment of the night. He turned left afterwards but he couldn't hear any more noise coming from Vladimir's chambers. He wondered what would've happened in his nightmare to make him turn so violent even in sleep. A few minutes later, he heard footsteps, quite cautious, not audible for human hearing and even the vampire was trying hard to focus on the noise. He felt a presence by the door, so he closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep, keeping a neutral expression on his face. He could feel Vladimir's gaze on him; he seemed tense and anxious but Stefan couldn't manage to say a word, so his mate left without saying anything either.

The dark-haired vampire turned slowly back to his original position staring at the ceiling, feeling uneasiness in the air. There was a change coming, he just didn't know what kind and why did it feel like a thread, but what he was sure about was that it would be decisive.

* * *

The trees moved fast as we rushed through the forest, searching for a prey, letting our senses guide us. Stefan was in a complete vampire state but he seemed distracted; I wasn't so concentrated myself but we managed to find a juicy man walking around. Stefan slowed down as I rushed forward to greet him. Once I got his attention, Stefan jumped over him, biting and bringing him to the ground. With a quick move, I situated myself on the other side of the man, submitting him and drinking avidly until we drained his entire body, but still it didn't feel good; I even chewed some of the meat, anxiously. Stefan stared at me with deep burgundy eyes, still a bit of black gleaming in his eyes.

"You look different today; everything alright?"

"I could ask the same question to you", I responded, aiming to divert the attention away from my being.

Stefan smirked and shrugged afterwards. It was obvious he wasn't talking either, but I had plenty of questions, so I threw the 'first stone'.

"So, had trouble sleeping last night?"

"Not as many as you did". Stefan's smirk was still on his face, giving him an odd appearance. I half-smiled as I got closer just to punch him on the shoulder.

"I don't know what you're talking about, I was perfectly fine", I remarked with a shrug. "I just feel something different in the air, the weather. And I'm pretty sure you feel it too".

Stefan stood still, the smirk fading from his face. He looked thoughtful and tilted his head to one side, still looking at the horizon instead of me.

"There's something wrong somewhere, and I do feel it, it's like…"

"…the weather isn't what it used to be…"

"…or the trees, or…"

"…sleeping…"

Stefan pierced me with his gaze. I had always understood how he felt as well as he understood me. He let a little smirk dance on his face but he quickly supressed it; we couldn't hide anything from each other. I stepped forward towards him; he didn't move or even tried to take a step back.

"How will we face such a prickle?" I asked with a silly grin on my face.

"As we always do", he said, smiling back.

"Together"

"Together".

* * *

_Thanks for taking the time to start reading this, I hope to have caught your attention. Stay tuned for updates and don't forget the feedback!_


	2. Chapter 2: Encounters

_32 views in a week, how good is that? And a review from someone I admire! Thank you all who have given a chance to my story and I hope to keep you interested throughout it. Here's chapter two, a little shorter but I promise to update soon. Have a nice week! And don't forget to review, that would be simply fantastic._

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CHAPTER TWO. - ENCOUNTERS.

Taking a walk down town had always been quite a sight for me, not as wonderful as running at full vampire speed, but remembering good ol' human days wasn't that bad either, even though I loved being a vampire.

We strolled down the busy streets of the centre, watching as people went by; unaware of our true nature because we blended in quite well or just because they didn't give a damn for anything that wasn't their own pathetic lives. I was admiring an interesting building when I felt it. I understood Stefan had felt it too since his mood changed quickly from being at ease to a complete alert state. I smelled a scent over the ones coming from the bodies and the different establishments that surrounded us; it wasn't human.

My mate glanced back at me, uneasiness written all over his face. It took us just a few seconds to decide on what to do. I breathed in deeply and made my way through the left to the spot where the scent was presumably coming from, as Stefan did the same thing but from the right.

I made my way through the crowd, pushing humans aside and letting my nose guide me. As the scent grew closer and more intense, I lost sight of Stefan. It was so near I could almost taste it, but just before reaching it, a sudden move distracted me, accompanied by its own particular scent. I froze for a moment, knowing not if moving forward to get my initial prey or chasing the new one, but I quickly made my mind up, deciding to go after the new scent, leaving the other to Stefan, trying to trust my instincts.

The second one moved fast, not even caring to hide its incredible speed from humans, but of course, they were too busy to even notice it. I rushed ahead to try and catch it, but it kept on running errantly. Suddenly, a flash of blonde hair passed me by. I had been noticed.

I instinctively ducked, trying to regain balance and spot my prey, but it started moving too fast. The only think I could see was flash after flash of blonde hair until I felt nauseated. I was trying to pick myself up when the "flash" abruptly stopped right in front of me and gave me a little push, making me fall on my butt. In the middle of my confusion, I could only see a blond blur in front of my face and at the distance, I could hear a deep laugh. I closed my eyes and rubbed my forehead, trying to sweep the dizziness away until I felt a cold hand patting my shoulder. I opened my eyes reluctantly just to find a young blond boy standing in front of me, an amused look on his face.

"Well, well, you seemed certainly more threatening in legends", said the boy, the delighted expression remaining.

I made a disgusted face as he offered me a hand which I refused and attempted to get up the ground by myself and failing, provoking a new outburst of laughter in my young interlocutor.

"Seriously mate, it's best this way. Trust me". The boy offered me his hand back but this time it was shrugged off by another, one I recognized: Stefan's.

"My, it was about time", I added, infuriated as I accepted his offer of a lift.

"Sorry, I was a little busy", Stefan answered, pointing at his back where another ashy blond chap that looked older that the one I had unfortunately encountered, was standing still. The man extended a hand towards me; apparently today everyone was eager to get a handshake. I shook his hand coldly and the younger boy did the same with Stefan, a grin on his face.

"We're sorry for the sudden appearance; we're definitely not the invasive kind", started the older vampire.

"You surely don't seem like the passive one either".

Stefan glanced back at me, trying to control my temper but I was a bit taken aback for the sudden events. The blond kept going.

"I know how this may look but we mean no harm. Actually, we are here from very unusual motives".

"And what could those motives be?" asked Stefan with a suspicion look.

"As odd as it may sound, we felt the need to come here. Things were heating up a bit back in our land, so we opted for a slight change".

"Where do you come from?"; my mate could be such an interrogator.

"Germany", sang the younger vampire, a proud smile on his face. The older one had no choice but to nod.

"You're far from home, but not too far either, and your story sounds frankly suspicious. If you needed a change, why choosing a country so similar to Germany?" Stefan pointed out. The older vampire breathed out in disbelief.

"Don't tell us you haven't felt it. The times are changing".

I squirmed at the thought; that was exactly what I had felt for a considerable amount of time, and it was a bit odd that all of a sudden this foreigners appeared out of nowhere (well, Germany actually) and claimed to be feeling the same way. Stefan noticed my bewilderment and moved almost imperceptibly towards me.

"We have felt changes indeed, but still don't understand what we have to do with you"

The older vampire sighed. "I also wish I could answer to that question. The good news is we might know what kind of changes to expect".

My eyes widened almost imperceptibly and I automatically glanced at my mate, who gazed back at me with an anxious look. As I felt approval rush between us, we nodded back at our non-invited guests.

"But firsts things first", said the older vampire. "We must make sure you are who you claim to be..."


	3. Chapter 3: Nostalgia

_I can hardly find the words to express my gratitude towards all of you who have read my story. For this chapter I have a little request: I'd love to know what do you think about it, about my writing style, the plot, the characters...anything that comes to mind! So if you could let me know your opinion in a review, I would be even more grateful._

_Anyway, I promised a quick update and a longer chapter so here it is, hope you enjoy it. Greetings to all of my wonderful readers from all those beautiful countries around the globe!_

* * *

CHAPTER THREE.- NOSTALGIA

"What do you mean by that?" said Stefan, assuming a defensive position.

"It's just a bit hard to believe we are in front of the real Vladimir and Stefan. I'm afraid we have never met in person"; our German interlocutor toned down his words.

"Who else could we be?" I responded, finding it hard to contain my irritation, showing off my teeth.

"We've heard plenty of legends about you. The only ones that got away from the Volturi; that's impressive", praised the younger vampire with a smirk.

"My name is Klaus and this is Johann", the blond boy nodded. "And we could define ourselves as nostalgic. As Johann has already stated, we've heard wonderful tales about you and your skills, so we thought if anything happened, they might come in handy. Whether you decide to join us or just to share your skills with us, we'd be very grateful".

I smirked at those words and glanced at Stefan, who had a brow raised. I pierced both of them with my gaze.

"Let's suppose we believe you. I've got just one more question. What makes you think we'd share our knowledge for free? You could simply be spies of the Italian scum…"

"…And that, obviously, is not advantageous for us", concluded my mate.

"If we were Volturi spies, the least we'd need would be learning new tricks, don't you think?" Klaus pointed out as Johann tensed himself. "At least give us the chance to prove we're worth it; at the end, we're nothing but fans". Both Germans smiled at the very mention of the word.

"Perhaps we're not making ourselves clear enough. There's nothing we could win with this, and if the legends you've heard are trustworthy, you must already know we do nothing for free..." I stated as Stefan did his job with the rest of the sentence.

"...And the continuity of our legacy has never been part of our ambitions".

"You could have us as allies, for the next time you challenge the Italians…" offered Klaus.

"…because you will, right?" questioned Johann.

That was a possibility we hadn't thought about for a while. After the encounter with the Cullens, we had realised how little possibilities we had to get a real fight with the ones that had dethroned us. They had become lazy and stopped chasing us and we abandoned all hopes on having allies worth the trouble. And now the opportunity stood right before us, like brought deliberately to spark off our need of revenge once again. The blond boy seemed quite hopeful of getting an affirmative response, so Stefan and I just nodded, making his face lit up. The other one controlled his emotions in a more effective way, so he only nodded back and extended a hand towards us. We doubted. Sudden images of the day we lost everything clouded my mind for a minute; an interrupted party, heads being ripped off, the smell of burning flesh, the run, Stefan's expression of discomfort and confusion. That was all it took to convince me to grab firmly Klaus' hand. My determination surprised Stefan and made Johann smile, who offered his hand as well, to seal the deal.

"You will not regret this", said the younger vampire, burgundy eyes sparkling bright.

"I hope so", I concluded with a displeased expression and a spark of hope growing deep inside me, too deep to care yet.

* * *

Night had fallen and the usual calm was being interrupted by chatter. Our uninvited guests were now sitting at our dining room, chatting and listening to music as I stood by the window, rejoicing in the sight of the bright moon that was almost full. I felt a presence by my side and I immediately knew it was Stefan. I sighed in longing.

"Remember when we inherited this castle?" I asked my old friend, who took his time to answer.

"Of course I do. It was one of the best days of my life".

"Those were certainly great days"; my gaze was still resting on the horizon.

"And certainly quieter", added my mate with an annoyance glance at the back where our unwanted guests rested. I smirked at him, which made him raise a brow.

"Is there anything wrong with my face?" he exclaimed in an irritated manner which only provoked the widening of my smirk. There was nothing wrong with his face; in fact it was one of the most perfect visages I had ever come across with, but of course I wasn't going to say that out loud, so I stuck to the basic courtesy.

"Not at all, you just seem quite upset about having company".

"Company is not what bothers me", he started, "but the fact that you seem to trust too much in them. We just met this two, we cannot lower our guards!" Stefan's annoyance tone increased as he spoke. He was actually worried, and that should ring some alarms for me; he was not easily upset and if something could unsettle my fellow then it was worth paying attention to. I placed a hand on his shoulder to reassure him.

"I know and I don't trust them as much as you think; I just want you to consider this for a minute. What can we lose? We are already doomed, we lost our power and there aren't many vampires that would stand for us, they're not even willing to stand against the Volturi. These two seem to be quite excited about the idea and we can take advantage of it".

Stefan's expression did not change but his shoulders loosened up a bit, almost imperceptibly.

"What if they end up taking advantage on us?" My mate's gaze pierced me, as if he was looking for the answer in my soul and I swear if I still had a beating heart, it would be racing like hell by now. I smiled back and added in the most composed tone I could manage:

"Then we'll have to add two more names on our death list".

That seemed to enlighten my mate's mood; he patted my back and excused himself, heading to his chambers. I watched him part and again I felt as if nothing had changed over the years. Stefan held the same grace he used to have when we reigned over the rest of the vampires; his elegant walk, his educated manners, his distinguished bearing…I had always admired him beyond words; I couldn't remember for how long, I just knew I did and that admiration had turned into something else as time went by. We grew closer and more powerful and my feelings for him increased too, but if that was unacceptable as a human, as a vampire it sounded like sacrilege. Besides, he had never shown any traces of sharing my thoughts, at least not beyond a deep friendship, a brotherhood.

I shook my head as the laughter of our guests burst in my ears; I turned to look at them in annoyance but they didn't even seem to notice, they were too busy with their jokes and talking in their mother´s tongue. I headed back to the window and stared at the moon, the same moon that had seen us rise and fall, that planet that had been reached by men in the past centuries but that they would never completely understand. Memories assaulted me once again and I couldn't hold back another sigh.

* * *

Stefan paced around in his room, thinking. It was almost too hard to believe that a few days ago, he and Vladimir were talking about changes and that suddenly they had happened in such an unexpected way. He could still hear the laughter coming from the dining hall, once crowded by the most influent vampires of the whole world and that nowadays was not even a resemblance of what it used to be.

He was worried about many issues, but the one that mattered the most was Vladimir. His mate wasn't naïve or careless, he wasn't easily fooled either but he could get blinded by his craving for vengeance. The dark-haired vampire had hoped for a while that his partner had let go of the angst that poisoned his soul; they hadn't talked about revenge for a while, disappointed for the lack of common sense the rest of the vampires seemed to have. Vladimir had seemed so gutted that Stefan thought for a minute it was all over, but now this big chance presented itself before them; fresh faces with presumable ulterior motives showed themselves as possible allies, and everything that seemed to have been forgotten awakened from its hiding place, stronger than ever.

He hadn't forgotten either, but he had managed to resign himself for the sake of his own mental health. Not that he didn't want to crush those Italian's skulls; in fact, there were few things in this world he wanted more but now there was something else he wished to protect, even though he couldn't accept it yet.

It started out as a furtive glance, being followed by subtle touches, certain words, nothing too risky. But time managed to draw them closer and suddenly he dreamt about him, even when he was awake. Feeling his coldness beside him was painful; seeing that beautiful pale skin and not being able to touch it was an urge he had to endure and supress. There was no way someone like Vladimir could ever look his way and he had learnt to live with it, contented with seeing him smile less and less often, rejoicing in the sight of his gleaming blond hair under the sunlight or the sound of his voice, deep but at the same time child-like. He couldn't hold back a smile at the thought of this. And now, he knew he was afraid of losing him, of not being able to protect his beloved one but at the same time there was something else troubling him, something he still couldn't accept. How could he be jealous of people they had just met? The older German seemed to be obnoxious to them, but the young one…the way he looked at Vladimir, the way he talked to him, the way he smiled…everything seemed like a game, a strategy, flirting. He kicked his bed anxiously, feeling the poison of jealousy rush through his veins, filling his whole body and settling in the place where his heart should be. He would not let him win; he would do whatever it took, he would fight…fight for what? Something that wasn't even his.

Stefan grabbed his head in desperation. How could he let himself get this far? When had he lost control of his emotions? When had his "brother in arms" become something different, indefinable?

He felt the urge to hunt. He headed to the door of his chambers and opened it in a decided manner. The vampire expected to find their German guests laughing and chatting in the dining hall but everything was silent; they weren't there anymore. Stefan looked for the blonds until he found them in the main hall, installed in the sofas, presumably taking a nap after their "little party".

Stefan couldn't believe time had slipped away so quickly; at first he thought he may had fallen asleep though that would be improbable since he was a vampire, so he dismissed the possibility. He then wondered where could his mate be; the dark-haired wandered about the castle but couldn't find Vladimir. Therefore, he exited the place with a feeling of uneasiness growing inside of him.

Stefan opened the front door of their castle. There was something in the air that reminded him of the night the Volturi had ended with almost everything he cared about. The unpleasant feeling increased; the night seemed endless ahead as he closed the door behind him and ran through the forest, letting his instincts take over.

He had made up his mind; as soon as he found Vladimir, he would tell him, no matter what happened afterwards.


	4. Chapter 4: Useless Efforts

_Words can hardly describe my feelings for all of you, specially for Blood Thirsty Angle, who's writing I admire (and yes, jealousy IS a bitch indeed). You guys refuse to review! But I'll be patient ;) _

_Anyway, here's the latest chapter; I've got big plans for these two! __So, as I always say, enjoy and thank you all for your wonderful support! And if you have written anything that has to do with NaPolA, VladStefan, Hannibal or Shameless (which I am all-in right now) I'd be delighted to read it._

**Just a few WARNINGS: I was in a bit of a sadistic mood when I wrote the scene of the bridge, so if you're a little sensitive right now, you might want to skip it. Just a bit of violence and all that good stuff, still safe.**

_Cheers!_

* * *

CHAPTER IV.- USELESS EFFORTS.

A scent assaulted my nostrils, a very sweet but manly scent, one I would recognize even dead (not that I was actually alive!). I felt a cold breeze embrace me as Stefan approached me and ran by my side.

"So how did you know where I was?" I questioned my friend. Again, he took his time to answer.

"I followed your scent", he snorted.

We didn't say much for a while, until we arrived town. There, we found a woman begging for money under a bridge; she held a sleeping child in her arms. Stefan and I approached cautiously and the woman immediately asked for our help. My mate took the child away from her and tears started welling up in her eyes. Fear pierced her like a sword and I couldn't help but smirking at the pitiful sight in front of me. Stefan rocked the baby in his arms, smiling at him.

"Beautiful child you have. You should be working, assuring a better life for the young one", stated the dark-haired, scolding the mother. "Nothing in this life comes for free".

"I…have suffered too much…" muttered the woman, causing a disgusted expression distort my mate's face.

"We will end your suffering soon," I assured her and without giving the woman time for anything else, I launched myself against her, grabbing her nape firmly and biting deep, harshly. I sucked her blood angrily, being soon joined by Stefan, sucking as avidly as I was. We are usually quite elegant even when we feed and try to maintain composure as much as we can but that night we had no mercy; we bit, tore, stripped, ravaged the flesh. I felt a sudden anger growing inside me and the feeling of blood flowing down my throat was not enough to calm down my nerves and knowing Stefan as well as I do, he felt exactly the same; I had never seen him suck so angrily or be that sadistic, at least not while feeding.

We finished tearing the body apart, our breathings raged, ready to go hunt some more when Stefan stopped me by grabbing my arm. He pointed at the child whom he had left on the floor; I stared back and raised a brow. As usual, he interpreted my silence perfectly.

"What are we going to do with him? We can't just leave him there" he asked, his gaze cold.

"We just tore his mother apart…and now you want to do something for him?" Stefan's errant temper was starting to get the best of me. He looked at me as if I had said something stupidly obvious.

"Don't tell me you plan to leave him there; the fact that he had a terrible mother doesn't mean he has to endure the consequences".

"Well, we just freed him from that woman, we've already done a favour to him, so now let's go, I'm still hungry", I responded, making my way out of the bridge when Stefan grabbed my wrist, making me turn back. "What is it now? We can't take care of a child if that's what you're thinking".

Stefan looked at me slightly puzzled and infuriated, and I could tell there was something else in his gaze but at the end he just replied: "I'd never ask such nonsense; I'm just suggesting we take him to an orphanage".

"And what's with the sudden altruist outburst?"

Stefan averted his gaze. "He reminds me of myself, that's just it".

That instantly shut me up. Stefan's features were hardened now; he took the child in his arms and made me follow him through the damp streets to a place I had never paid attention to. We left the child outside the building and knocked the door right before disappearing in the night. I couldn't help but thinking that was all too _cliché_ but Stefan's mood seemed to cool up a bit afterwards. We hunted some more and headed back to our castle with still plenty of time. My mate was remarkably quiet on the way back; we shared furtive glances from time to time but neither of us dared to speak. I decided to break the silence.

"Interesting night; I hadn't faced such prickles in quite a long while".

Stefan nodded as he tried to smile. This attempt for a conversation was followed by some others, all of them unsuccessful. I got tired of trying and started kicking stones out of my way. I couldn't understand what had I done wrong to cause that animosity in Stefan; the fact that I didn't give a damn about a child which he projected himself on wasn't reason enough to stop talking to me. It was quite absurd and Stefan's behaviour was starting to irritate me more than it should so I hurried to the castle we now shared with two German vampires. I exaggerated my speed so it transmitted the message: Stefan wasn't the only one who could get pissed at things and as long as he didn't relax, he wouldn't be able to enjoy my company.

I opened the front door with a kick, slamming it against the wall. I heard some noises in the main hall but I didn't even bother to apologize for waking up our guests. I soon felt Stefan's presence at the door, closing it quietly; I also sensed his confusion and I smirked. _Well, well, who's the ignored one now?_

I headed to my chambers without adding anything else. I threw myself onto the bed, preparing to spend there what was left of the night, waiting for dawn.

* * *

Stefan cursed himself in the solitude of his room. Just when he thought he would tell everything to Vladimir, when the delight of success had poisoned his mind, he couldn't manage to say a word to the person he most trusted in. He had even imagined the best scenario, where Vladimir would tell him he shared his feelings and that he had been waiting for this moment as long as he had; instead, they had ended up fighting because he couldn't manage to get his feelings out. He couldn't even understand why he had gotten so out of his mind with the child's situation, why did he have to remember things he held at the back of his head, and much worse, why he had let them affect his relationship or whatever he had with Vladimir. Stefan cursed himself once again but numbness took over soon enough. He sat on his bed, staring at the front.

_"Tomorrow"_, he thought,_ "tomorrow it will be"._

* * *

_That's it! Loved it? Hated it? Let me now! By the way, if you like Shameless and the idea of Mickey and Ian together, stay tuned because I'm about to upload a fic about them. Nice week, everyone!_


	5. Chapter 5: Bad Blood

_Update time! Another long chapter which I hope you enjoy. Things will get a bit crazy around here. Anyway, next chapter will be special, so look forward to it! Once again, thank you all for your support, especially to my reviewers; most of my inspiration comes from you! After that outburst, I give you chapter five. Keep on enjoying summer c:_

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CHAPTER V.- BAD BLOOD

_"All this bad blood here, won't you let it dry?_

_It's been cold for years, won't you let it lie?"_

_*Bad blood-Bastille*_

"No, no, you're not doing it right!"

My commands echoed through the woods, scaring animals away. Irritation filled my insides and amusement lighted up Stefan's face.

The Germans were wrestling in front of us. Klaus' hands were on Johann's shoulders, as the young vampire's claws sunk in the older one's ribs. They both looked at us with a puzzled expression on their faces. I shook my head as I got off the rock where I was comfortably sitting and approached the Germans with a purposeful stride.

"If you grab him by the neck, you leave you ribs unprotected; and if you go straight to the ribs, he could easily rip your head off" I pointed out, our recently found comrades still perplexed. Johann was the first one to speak after a brief smile.

"You're completely right and you know so much about fighting…Gott, no wonder why you outsmarted the Volturi".

"It's just the obvious thing to do. Now, try again". I headed back to my previous spot carelessly and sat down beside Stefan, who had a smirk on his face. I frowned at his nonchalance and he just widened his grin.

"What?" I barked, irritated.

"Nothing, this is amusing. I never thought I would see you playing the teacher", replied Stefan; my expression grew darker.

"I'm not playing anything; they asked for our help so they could assist us and I'm just fulfilling my part of the arrangement which you should also be".

Stefan stared back, less amused than before, a smile still playing at his lips.

"I don't think my intervention is required, you seem to be doing quite well. You managed to get their attention which is already a great achievement. Besides", continued Stefan, pointing with his chin towards Johann, "I don't think that boy wants me to stand between you and him".

I rolled my eyes irritated. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that. It's completely idiotic to think that German boy is interested in anything else that is not my ability to fight".

"Perhaps he's interested in other kind of 'abilities' of yours". Stefan's grin widened and I got off the rock to correct the German's postures once again…or at least that was what I wanted it to look like. As I reprehended our comrades, I tried to keep my gaze focused on anything else but Stefan, even though I could feel his gaze on me.

What he had just said sounded as complete nonsense. How could Johann look at me in that way? But most important, why would Stefan care? I let my mind drift for a few minutes, rejoicing myself in the thought of Stefan sharing my feelings but I soon came back to reality. That thought sounded even more impossible than Johann fancying me, so I shook it off and kept on helping the blonds.

* * *

Cold breezes entered through the windows of the castle, cooling everything inside, included my mood. We were all sitting at the table of our dining room chatting with our guests; Johann was sitting across the table mumbling about his motherland and random stuff and my patience was already running low. Soft music was playing in a small device our guests had brought with them. Stefan stared intently towards it and Klaus noticed.

"Interested?" asked the German, taking my mate by surprise. "It's called an iPod, and those are plain speakers. It's like a Walkman but it saves you the trouble of carrying your CDs everywhere. It's quite practical once you develop a fond for it", finished Klaus with a sideways smile. Stefan just snorted.

"I don't like modern stuff, no matter how practical it may be. Anyway, where are you from, precisely?" My mate didn't seem to be in the mood for making friends but he was doing his research as usual.

"I'm from Düsseldorf and Johann was born in Stuttgart, but he spent his youth somewhere else, or so he says", answered Klaus.

"And how come you came across him?" asked Stefan but as soon as he realised the hostility on his tone, he cleared his throat and spoke in a more polite way. "What I mean is that Düsseldorf is quite far from Stuttgart or its surroundings, practically on the other side of Germany, so it must've been quite a coincidence to find another vampire in such a vast territory".

Klaus smiled at Stefan's politeness; his words could astonish almost everyone he met. "I found him outside a tavern in Wiesbaden; he was causing a bit of trouble as usual and I managed to get him out of it. His scent is one of the most powerful I've ever come across with, so it wasn't hard to find him".

"And how long have you been mates…comrades…partners…" Stefan was finding it hard to name Klaus and Johann's relationship, so the German interrupted him.

"We've been roaming around Germany for a couple of years. There's a lot of reciprocity in our relationship; I save him and he saves me, simple logic. But I must admit I have a lot of fun with him", Klaus looked back at Johann, gratefulness written all over his face. "So", he went back to Stefan, "I assume that's the way it works between you and Vladimir".

Stefan went blank for a few minutes just before recovering composure and nodding. The ashy blond seemed unsatisfied with the answer and asked:

"You've been together for centuries, how come you haven't got tired of each other?"

That question triggered my attention and I concentrated in Stefan's breathing, which had quickened a bit. All that time I had been busy coping with Johann's mumblings and praises and trying to pay as much attention as I could to the conversation taking place beside us. I sharpened my senses and listened intently, waiting for Stefan's response. My mate thought for a moment before answering: "It's hard to explain and perhaps even harder to understand, but I guess we have a lot of things in common; we have a _common enemy_ and I suppose that shared hatred is what draws us together". Stefan smiled but the gesture didn't reach his eyes. "Funny, isn't it? Bad blood is what keeps us from parting".

Klaus didn't seem to notice Stefan's implications but I had fully understood them. Something inside me clenched and I could feel my guts contract in pain. Everyone kept on talking but I couldn't hear anymore; numbness had overwhelmed me and there were few things I could think of.

Stefan was right; our need for revenge was the main purpose of our alliance and come to think of it, bad blood seemed to be the only thing that pulled us together. Suddenly, all my hopes and "dreams" were crushed and all the plans I had made for when we "accomplished our goal" sounded completely ridiculous. I had taken Stefan's presence for granted; what could possibly assure me that he wouldn't leave as soon as we dethroned the Volturi? Those were possibilities I hadn't thought about and my mate, with those simple words, had shattered whatever was left of my heart and humanity.

I got up wearily, drawing everybody's attention to me.

"Where are you going? It's late, you know", expressed my mate and I could swear I felt a bit of anxiety in his voice, but of course that couldn't be true. He had just made a statement that answered most of the questions in my mind, so what was left to assume?

"I need some air" I replied as indifferent as I could. Stefan stood up as well.

"I'll go with you…we'll all go. I'm sure our guests would like to hunt…"

"I'd rather be by myself. Feel free to go hunting; we have very tasty specimens in town". I headed to the door trying not to pay attention to Stefan's hurt expression and to our guests' confused glances.

* * *

The cool Romanian air hit me with full strength, flooding my whole body with its humidity and refreshing it. Stefan's words ran through my head as I walked aimlessly; he had indeed answered most of my questions, except for one: why had he pointed out Johann's attitude? Did he care? Or was it just some kind of personal joke? I didn't find it funny either way and it was frustrating to know there was no hope left for me. I let sorrow take over me, smiling at the thought of Stefan's smile, that gesture I thought I knew so well but that surprised me every time I had the chance to see it. The way his eyes sparkled whenever he was happy or when he adopted a defensive position; the flawlessness of his skin, that skin I wanted to touch so bad; his elegant words that hadn't changed over time and that wrapped me in an endless embrace. All of those things were meaningless now; I had spent my days fantasizing with meanings to those gestures, trying to pretend that for a minute, they were all for me, to let me know he cared as much as I did but right now nothing could matter less.

I was deep in thought when I heard footsteps behind me. I knew Stefan too well (or at least I knew his scent) to even hope to find him standing there when I turned around. Indeed, it wasn't my dark-haired tantalising friend but the young German vampire. He looked at me with a mixture of reverence and concern and something else I couldn't put my finger on. I just rolled my eyes, irritation written all over my face.

"What do you want, Johann? Go back, I said I wanted to be alone", I snapped, not caring if I hurt the boys feelings in any ways.

"I heard you but I was worried you might get into trouble. It's not a wise idea to go out while you're angry". I raised a brow back to the boy, who seemed as positive and light-hearted as always.

I let out a sigh before grabbing the blond by the arm and replying: "Come on, I'll take you back to the castle. I'll continue with my walk once I make sure you're safe".

Johann grabbed my arm as well, stopping me from pushing forward. His burgundy-coloured eyes stared at me curiously; he was closer to me than he ever had been and I felt a bit uncomfortable.

"May I ask you a question?" requested the pale boy, to which I could only respond with a nod. "What has kept Stefan and you together?" I was about to reply that my mate had already answered that question but Johann seemed to expect that and shook his head.

"I know it's not just because of what Stefan said. I mean, no one can bear somebody else's company for centuries if the only thing that binds them is loathing".

I felt my hopes rise and fall abruptly as I struggled to keep myself glued to reality. What that boy was saying was true, it had to be true! Otherwise, why would we still have to bear with each other's company even when we knew we had no serious chances to stand against the Volturi? And as much as reality bit, that was the truth; we were no thread to the Volturi's reign of terror and hypocrisy so there had to be another explanation for Stefan's stay in my life or whatever I could call this existence.

"Think about it". Johann smiled sufficiently and started walking slowly back to the castle as I stood in place, dumbfounded. When my German mate was already various steps away, I rushed to catch up with him.

"Hey, German boy!" I shouted as I approached him, composing my expression not to look too enthusiastic. He waited for me and then we started walking together to the fortress. Johann had a silly grin on his face and I raised a brow towards him, inquisitive.

"What? I was just thinking how curious this whole situation is", responded my comrade to the unspoken question.

"And what situation would that be?"

Johann laughed. "It's hard to explain. Anyway, it's good to see you smile again".

"I'm not sm…" I shut myself up when I realised I had a strange smirk on my face and started walking a little faster, making Johann laugh.

"Don't be angry at me! I'm just saying what I saw!"

When we reached the castle's walls, I stopped. Insecurity started filling my mind and crushing my resolution; I still didn't know what that determination was for but it had certainly decreased as we approached our home. I swallowed audibly and felt Johann's hand on my shoulder, glancing back at him with a confused look. He winked and gestured to the door.

"Come on, they don't bite"

"We all bite…idiot"

Johann snickered. "You're quite stubborn, aren't you? But still, I think you're great".

I snorted. "Are you ever going to stop complimenting me?"

"If you stop being cool, I will"

I couldn't hold back a sideways smile, making Johann's grin widen. I mixed his hair in a careless way, gesturing to the door and making an exaggerated caravan towards the blond boy.

"Would you do the honours?"

"By all means", Johann answered and opened the door, entering the hall being followed closely by me. Klaus and Stefan were still at the table and they both stood up when we made our entrance. Klaus seemed amused and Stefan looked at us with a mixture of relief and something else harder to read.

"I brought the forest fairy back", exclaimed Johann triumphant, earning himself a punch on the arm sponsored by me. The boy complained as I made my way towards the table and turned off the device that belonged to the Germans.

"Hey, I liked that song!" mourned Johann.

"Yeah, it's all well and good but we have a lot of work to do tomorrow. We have plans to discuss, things to learn and humans to hunt so we better get some rest. Dawn will soon come".

Klaus nodded and Johann stretched in an exaggerated manner, yawning. Both Germans made their way to the living room and Stefan stood there, staring at me. I stared back, interrogative.

"So, aren't you coming to get some rest?"

Stefan looked as if he wanted to say something else but then he just nodded and turned around. I couldn't hide my disappointment and snorted, about to head to my room when my mate halted where he was and spoke without turning to see me.

"May I rest in your chambers? Mines get a bit humid by this time of the year"

I could hardly believe what my ears were hearing. I tried to swallow saliva but found it impossible thanks to a knot in my throat that had suddenly turned out to be big enough to block it completely. My eyes were wide and my brain urged me to answer to the request but I could barely manage to perform the basic functions of my body, needless to say that speaking wasn't one of them at the moment. Stefan turned slowly, looking for a response, his eyes glued to the floor. He then suddenly lifted his gaze and stared right into my eyes.

"If you don't mind, of course"

That look completely melted my inside and almost brought me to my knees but I managed to control myself. The only thing I could do was shaking my head to let him know I didn't mind at all; in fact, it was one of my best hidden fantasies and if I had ever thought about something that could be considered "romantic", that would perfectly fit in the description.

My mate nodded back, gazing back to the floor and turning around, heading for his room to get whatever he needed to spend the night at mine. That was when panic took over, as I mechanically made my way towards my chambers, my non-existing heart racing like hell and my brain shouting various insults at me.


	6. Chapter 5,1: Bedroom Chronicles

_Well, here is this little present for all of you. I've been a little demoralised lately but that doesn't mean you guys won't get your update. Hope you have some fun with this. And if any of you is interested in Shameless, my tribute to it is already up here. _

**Warnings: some fighting and touching of inappropriate parts ;) **

___It would help a lot if you reviewed. Enjoy._

* * *

CHAPTER V.I.- BEDROOM CHRONICLES.

Stefan remained facing Vladimir with his back. He was seriously questioning himself on how good of an idea it had been to ask to sleep in the same room as Vladimir. Silence between them was awkward; neither of them moved, fearing they could disturb the other. Both swallowed audibly.

"So…Klaus seems interesting", started Vladimir in an apprehensive way.

"He is…polite", answered Stefan, stiffly.

An awkward silence reigned over the room, both vampires unable to say anything else. Vladimir cleared his throat.

"And…what were you two talking about while Johann and I were away?" started Vladimir but he immediately changed the course of his question. "Not that I care of course, is mere scientific curiosity".

"I bet it is", muttered Stefan, making Vladimir raise a brow to his comment. "Just about his life before coming to Romania; apparently, he and Johann went through a lot".

"Really? How amusing. And when you say 'a lot', you mean…?"

"Well, Klaus met Johann after a bar fight. It seems like the boy loves fighting".

"And he also seems to love sneaking into everybody else's life…"

"What did you say?"

"Oh, nothing"

_*Sigh*_ "Anyway, what did Johann and you do in the woods? Whatever it was, it took you a while…"

_*Smirk*_ "Why, jealous?"

_*Laugh*_ "Me, jealous? Why would I?"

"No reason. Anyway, he just went to get me and talked about random stuff, nothing exceptional".

"I thought he had used your time alone to show you some of his '_Teutonic moves'_".

_*Snort*_ "I've already told you he feels nothing for me but admiration as it is perfectly understandable"-

"Understandable?"

"Yes, being such a talented and good-looking vampire is natural to generate admiration in everyone that meets me".

"You also forgot to add 'modest' to your list of attributes".

"And 'funny' should be in yours. Who taught you to be such a nuisance, Klaus?"

_*Grunt*_ "Oh, please! I've always been sarcastic, what does the German have to do with it?"

"You tell me! Apparently you have grown way more sarcastic since you became 'best friends' with him".

"And you less tolerant since you spend that much time with that blond!"

"Less tolerant? I've never been tolerant at all!"

"Well now you don't even have the chance to aspire to it!"

"I think you should be a little bit more selective with the blood you drink; that brain of yours is starting to malfunction".

"I wish the problem with you was the blood you drank…"

Vladimir turned even paler than he was and jumped over Stefan, teeth and claws out; since the dark-haired was completely off guard, he fell to the floor, but he quickly rolled and ended up on top of Vladimir. The blond bit down on his mate's hand, making him hiss. As a response, Stefan grabbed his hair and pulled his head back; since the blond had his teeth still sunk in Stefan's flesh, he tore it up a bit. Stefan then launched himself against Vladimir, knocking him down when the blond was about to get up and biting him back on the neck. Vladimir growled in pain and scratched Stefan's back fiercely in a useless attempt to get him off. He then kicked his brunet friend off with a blow on the guts, Stefan's head knocking on the wall with a loud thud. Vladimir immediately threw himself over the brunet and restrained his arms over his head but it was no use; Stefan had always been quite strong and hit Vladimir on the jaw, making his pale head turn abruptly. Vladimir fought for dominance, placing his whole weight over Stefan's hips so he couldn't move; it was like having a heavy rock over his iliac crests and the more he fought, the more it weighed.

They both remained in that position, their breathings raged, Vladimir declaring himself the winner by restraining Stefan's arms over his head and succeeding, but for this movement, he had to place his torso on top of Stefan's, his face just inches away from his mate's. Tension started to build up as Vladimir's cold hands pressed Stefan's wrists. Stefan stared intently into Vladimir's eyes, the blond gazing back; they were so close their lips were slightly brushing against each other.

"Next time you want to kill me, try a better plan," said the blond right before releasing his mate's wrists and giving him a hand to get up. "We should have some rest, it's already 6 a.m."

"I agree", replied Stefan, shaking off the dirt from his shirt. "Oh, and if I had wanted to kill you, I would've done so".

Vladimir smirked and glanced back at his mate, which shirt was damaged thanks to his scratches. That made Vladimir's smirk widen.

"I'll pay for that", he said, pointing at the ravaged shirt. Stefan answered with a smile.

"I don't trust in your taste for shirts; just look at what you're wearing".

Vladimir laughed loudly, throwing himself on the bed. Stefan imitated him after taking his shirt off and tossing it to the ground; when his mate fell on the bed, Vladimir's body stiffened. Stefan was laying beside him, bare-chested, arms behind his head, his chest flawless under the moonlight.

"Is bad blood the only thing that binds us together?" asked Vladimir without even thinking about it. Stefan slowly turned his head towards him, staring right into his burgundy eyes. After a while, Stefan let his gaze down.

"Of course not; but since when do we give people explanations?"

And those words were all it took for Vladimir to smile widely.

* * *

The morning light shone through the curtains of my chambers, making me shut my eyes tighter. Even though light had no real effects on me, I had always hated it and gradually became more sensitive to it. Perhaps immortality was not as flawless as it seemed.

I pressed my head against my bed, rejoicing in its softness, one I hadn't felt in quite a while. The surface I was resting on was cold but comfortable; silk caressed my cheek as I nuzzled it in a child-like fashion. I couldn't hold back a smile.

Suddenly, the surface lifted, dragging me up with it and then down. I frowned, unable to cope with the fact that my bed was…breathing? I moved my gaze around, inspecting the bed; in front of my eyes, there were two bumps covered in sheets and my arm was resting between them carelessly. Slowly, I moved my head upwards, finding Stefan's calm visage, his eyes still closed. This realization took a while to be processed by my brain; in the meantime, my mate opened his eyes, coming out of that weird state of trance that is the _vampire's sleep_ and gazing curiously towards me. I was so taken aback by the sight that I didn't make the slightest attempt to move from where I was. Stefan raised a brow and swallowed audibly.

"So…had a…good rest…last night?" he asked, his eyes, which were now wide-open, were still on me.

I froze and nodded awkwardly. Stefan swallowed once again, but this time it was nothing but air.

"May I have my…uh, body…back?"

My gaze slid slowly back to its original place, landing on the spot where my arm was casually resting, and if I could still blush, I'd be redder than the blood coming out from a young maiden's neck.

I quickly stumbled away until I had my entire bed between Stefan's body and mine. I stared at the window blankly, playing with my fingers, cold chills running down my back, so nervous that I started apologising like crazy.

"I a…I'm sorry for ending up on you, I didn't realise I was doing so…and just so you know I wasn't intending anything, no cuddling or romantic…I mean, stupid! Stupid stuff like that", I stipulated, my gaze still fixed on the pattern lights coming from the window. "And sorry for resting my arm on your leg".

"Sure, just…that wasn't my leg"

Another cold chill ran down my back and for the first time in a while, there was nothing on Earth I craved more for than dead.


	7. Chapter 6: Gathering Strenght

_I must apologize for not updating sooner but I've been quite sick, migraine's been killing me. Anyway, just because of that you'll be getting a double update! Hope you enjoy it and thanks for the constant support. Reviews, please!_

* * *

CHAPTER VI.- GATHERING STRENGTH

The smell of blood filled the air. Our guests and us were calmly eating from two bodies we had recently acquired. Johann had one of his victim's wrist firmly gripped and was sucking avidly from it while his friend fed from the neck. I looked back at mine and my companion's positions and realised we both sucked at the neck; we never bothered finding a different place for each one. Still, that morning I wasn't precisely pleased with the idea of being that close to my mate.

"So, what's the schedule for today?"

Johann's voice interrupted my thoughts, making me lift my head from the delightful taste of blood.

"There's no schedule", I answered and went back to what I was previously doing.

"What?" Both Germans lifted their heads. I reluctantly did the same and Stefan kept on eating. I shrugged.

"What you heard, there's no schedule. This is no bloody vampire school or something".

"But yesterday you told us to rest because we had a lot to do today", pointed out Johann.

"Yes, well, many things can change in a few hours", I replied, a smirk forming in Stefan's lips.

"But what about the training?" continued the young vampire.

"I'm starting to think training you is useless…"

"Useless? Are we that bad?" Disappointment overflowed Johann's voice; Stefan slowly lifted his head from the body underneath us.

"Is not that you're bad, is just we are not even going to fight the Volturi".

All gazes were now fixed on Stefan, who squirmed uncomfortably under them.

"At least…not soon enough?"

I raised a brow to his statements, getting closer to him, talking in whispers.

"Are you out of your mind? What do you mean by that?"

"Come on, Vladimir, let's face reality. The Volturi are strong whether we like it or not; how do you expect to overpower them, with two Germans and a stake?"

"No!" I replied, offended. "I'd make a plan; it wouldn't be the first time".

"No plan can be pulled out with just four people".

"And what do you want me to do, call the Cullens?"

"I never said that, is just…are you sure you want to keep doing this?"

I looked at Stefan, puzzled. "I am, aren't you? You already got…tired?"

Sudden fear started welling up in my chest, one that wasn't supposed to be there. Stefan's words from last night about bad blood echoed through my head; so that was it, our 'ancient' bond? But then he had also said it wasn't true…and at the same time, he didn't give further explanations…That bloody "emotional rollercoaster" was starting to bother me, clouding my mind, preventing me from clear thinking. Stefan gave me a sideways smile.

"That's not what I meant. Is just…I fear we might never be ready to face the Volturi again. We did it once with an army and it didn't work; the Cullens are complete idiots and so are their friends and these two…are fast learners but not enough to finish the Italians off. Let's try to get more allies at least before making a move".

I tried to smile back to Stefan. His words had calmed me but my mind kept on drifting away. I told my brain to shut up as I concentrated in Stefan's arguments.

"May I interrupt?"

Both Stefan and I had completely forgotten about our unwanted German guests. We turned around to find a confused Johann and indignant Klaus.

"Despite your internal disputes, I remind you we have a deal. If you are no longer going to require our services then we shall be off. It's a shame to realise that you get so easily scared".

"WHAT?!" Stefan and I screamed with one voice. Johann was sucking the last remains of blood from his victim's body when I lifted him up by the arm.

"Hey, I'm not finished yet!"

"I don't care. We are going to train right now…

…and call your friends. We'll need them".

* * *

We had been training for hours, more than any other day. The Germans had been progressing over time; as my mate once said, they were fast learners. A month had passed by since we met them and things looked like they were going right but still, we needed many more allies. The Cullens of course, were completely out of the equation but I was considering on looking for some of their friends; after all, there were a few that seemed like a good investment. That Egyptian boy, for example.

I had parted the group just to get a bit of fresh air. I could still hear Johann's groans as he fought for dominance with Stefan. It was fun to see the two of them wrestle; the boy had gotten far in his training, but still not enough to challenge my mate and get away with it. I smiled at the scene going on a few steps away from me, turning around after a few more minutes of contemplation just to find Klaus' face in front of mine.

"Bloody…! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

The German laughed and tilted his head to one side, his hair moving along.

"I'm sorry; I didn't know you were so off-guarded".

"Of course I was off-guarded! You could've made a bit of noise, you know? What were you in your past life, a spy?"

Klaus laughed again as he ran a hand through his hair.

"No, but it wouldn't have been a bad idea to be one. Anyway, that's not why I was looking for you. I had a response from some mates; Johann and I never had too many acquaintances but I've made contact some of them".

I grew interested. "And how do I know these mates of yours are trustworthy?"

"You thought Johann and I weren't trustworthy and look at us now. Is a matter of trusting in _me_ first".

I narrowed my eyes at the vampire in front of me. The wind made his shoulder-length hair swing to and fro and he raised a brow towards me.

"I have never been a person of faith", I said, still looking straight to his eyes; it was true I had accepted him and Johann, but for a reason I couldn't put my finger on, I still found it hard to fully trust them, specially Klaus, with those deep blue eyes and strong jaw. It seemed to me that he was always hiding something and had ulterior motives; even when he was around his mate, he seemed distant. Besides, he had recently started to spend too much time with Stefan, which perhaps was the strongest motive why I couldn't trust him, but my pride was big enough to put that reason away.

"You still don't trust me, do you?" he asked, just as if he had read my mind. "You should start doing so since we plan to challenge the Volturi together. You said it yourself: you have to fully trust your mates in battle; after all, your life depends on it".

I kept on staring at Klaus, pondering his words, MY words quoted, to be more precise.

"And when can we meet these friends of yours?"


	8. Chapter 7: Welcome to Russia!

_Update rush, yay! Enjoy and please don't forget to review, feedback makes my day!_

* * *

CHAPTER VII.- WELCOME TO RUSSIA

Cold breezes cut through my skin as we ran through the streets. The Kremlin rose imposing at the distance, that grew shorter as we got closer to it. Once outside its walls, we stopped to take a break and for the Germans to catch up with us; even though they worked hard, speed was something you could only master with time. I rubbed my arms to make sure they were still there; the falling snow reminded me we were far away from home.

"So when are these friends of yours coming?"

"Their names are Viktor and Sasha, and they should be here soon", replied Klaus, a bit irritated for being left behind most of the trip.

"Sasha?" Johann's voice sounded cheerful and curious.

I took a look around. People passed us by, some of them glancing suspiciously towards us; I thought for a moment about the sight we might be giving them: four slender guys in not very warm clothes standing in the middle of the Russian autumn. I smiled at a young woman who left her gaze resting on me far more time than anyone would consider polite, making her blush. I felt a nudge on the ribs.

"Are you here to work or to flirt?" asked Stefan, watching me with a severe expression. I stuck my tongue out and smoothed my coat. Even though we weren't cold, trips were always good opportunities to take out our fine clothes.

"Remember when we got these?" I asked Stefan, pointing at our coats. The change of subject was obviously noticed but Stefan just half-smiled and nodded.

"Your mother gave them to us. For 'further trips', she said".

"Well, they've proven been useful", I finished off with a smile. So we were when we heard someone clearing his throat. We glanced back at the Germans that were watching us intently, Klaus with a bored expression and Johann with curiosity.

"Am I interrupting something?" asked the older vampire.

"Always", I added in the lower tone I could manage.

"What?" inquired Klaus, trying his best to sort out what I had just muttered but he obviously couldn't so I made a dismissive gesture with the hand and smirked; Stefan smirked as well. Klaus snorted. "Anyway, what I was saying is that we can't stay out here all day long and I thought perhaps we should go in".

Stefan and I looked at the red walls standing tall and proud behind our backs and analysed the situation, but just when we turned around to answer, we realised our German associates had already started making their way to the entrance, so we had no other choice but to follow reluctantly.

* * *

The Red Square was even more monumental on the inside. Golden cupolas shone under the sunlight that timidly poked out of the clouds. Palaces, cathedrals and belfries rose proudly here and there as the first snowflakes started covering them. It was a wonderful sight and I could hardly take my eyes off the imposing buildings, remembering how I once ruled from a comparable palace.

Stefan's hand on my shoulder made me get back to reality. He had already sensed my mood and his hand rested on me in a comforting manner; I tried to manage a smile to reassure him but it wasn't working. Fortunately, Klaus' phone rang and he made us follow him again saying his friends were right outside Saint Basil's Cathedral.

* * *

When we arrived the mentioned place, we found some groups of tourists rejoicing in the sight of it and taking pictures, but there were no locals at all.

"Are you sure they said they were here?" Stefan asked, weary.

"Of course I'm sure, they said they were waiting right here, in this exact spot!"

"Perhaps we're in the wrong place", hazarded Johann, looking around.

"The sign says clearly this is the bloody cathedral!"

Apparently, Klaus' patience was running low, so I tried looking for the Russian partners on my own. It was a stupid thing to do; after all I didn't even know what they looked like. My fruitless search was interrupted by Stefan's snickering.

"Am I doing something amusing?" I asked him. He wasn't laughing anymore though a smirk remained printed on his lips.

"You look quite confused", he said, amused.

"I'm just looking for these Russian guys, trying to be useful unlike others".

That just made my mate chuckle once again but his laughter quickly faded away, the joyful expression being replaced by a serious one. His eyes flickered under the shy Russian evening sun. "You fit here".

I looked at him bewildered, not knowing how to answer to that, feeling my knees grow weak under his gaze. His black hair seemed smooth and somewhat damp because of the sporadic snow that landed on it; his hands were stuffed in his coat pockets and he looked more relaxed than usual but not less elegant. The first buttons of his black shirt were undone and the neck of his coat was lifted so the wind didn't blow directly on his face; his burgundy eyes looked clearer than ever. For a moment, he even looked human; he resembled a certain image I had treasured deep inside my head, one of his past life. I had never told him that I still remembered him as a human, but if I tried hard, I could recall the warmth of his skin, the beautiful pale colour of his eyes, not green nor grey, the blood colouring his lips in a subtle way. I swallowed audibly before I could push the words out of my throat.

"Why do you say that?"

"The colour of your hair, so fair", he explained, narrowing his eyes and staring at my locks, his hands still in his pockets. "I don't know how you were as a human but I'm pretty sure you always looked this…exotic".

I swallowed again at that and I had to look away to maintain composure. For some reason I couldn't understand, the image of those lips remained in my head and it was becoming impossible to get rid of it. I looked around, trying to fix my attention in something else when I saw a blur heading straight to Stefan. I didn't have much time to think so my first instinct was to pull my mate's coat and drag him away from the path of the blur.

"Watch out!" I yelled and everything happened so fast it was hard for me to reconstruct it later. The blur passed right beside Stefan and he and I fell to the ground, rolling a few times on the thin layer of snow. I opened my eyes and saw Stefan's face right in front of mine, his hands grabbing my shoulders firmly. We stared at each other, still unable to do anything else.

"Hey!" A voice interrupted the embarrassing moment. We saw Johann approaching us. "What are you doing? The Russians are already here!"

We fought to get up and Stefan succeeded. I just fell back to the ground; Johann and Stefan approached to help me up and as soon as I did, I shook their hands off of me, arranging my coat over my shoulders.

"Why do I always end up falling over my butt whenever you are involved, boy?!" I reproached Johann as I followed him alongside Stefan, arms folded over my chest. Johann started talking about how excited he was to meet the Russians; apparently, he only knew Viktor and a boy called Yuri that would join us later.

"I've never heard about Sasha; interesting name isn't it? I bet she's gorgeous!"

Stefan and I glanced at each other. "Perhaps you shouldn't get your hopes up yet".

"Why, am I that ugly? Vladimir, you think I'm ugly?"

"No comments", I said and the boy chuckled.

"Well, you'll see, once I use my Teutonic sex appeal, she will fall madly for me".

"I'm curious about what kind of 'Teutonic sex appeal' you could pull off and how this _Sasha _will take it. Maybe if you are open-minded, you could use your mentioned sex appeal…"

"Open minded? What do you mean?"

Johann was just finishing his question when we arrived to where the Russians and Klaus where. The blond boy stopped abruptly in front of them and smiled to one of them.

"Viktor, long time no see".

One of the men in front of him nodded, a subtle and polite smile on his lips. He was pale with sharp cold eyes; light stubble adorned his jaw line and his hazelnut hair was stylised in a modern but discrete way, longer in the middle, shorter on the sides. His bottom lip had almost the same size of the top one, both not too thin but not extremely full and his brows were thick in a strong but elegant way. His brown coat seemed expensive.

The boy standing beside him had dark-blond locks. His hair was short but not military-like. His nose was more delicate than Viktor's and so were his brows. He was also quite pale and was wearing a chequered shirt and jeans, not bothering to pretend to be cold in front of humans.

Johann looked around, expecting someone else to pop out of nowhere.

"So, where is Sasha?" The German boy externalised his thoughts. Everyone looked at him as if he were crazy. The dark-haired Russian, presumably Viktor, was about to add something but Johann didn't give him the time. "I don't mean to be impolite but you don't meet vampire girls so often; I bet she must be exotically beautiful for what I've seen in your streets. Is she blond? Or dark-haired? I fancy both, anyway…"

Klaus scratched his nape, embarrassed. Viktor kept his brow furrowed and the boy next to him shifted uncomfortable, looking away from the scene. Johann suddenly shut himself up and widened his eyes.

"Oh, she's not your girlfriend or something, is she?" he asked alarmed to the vampires in front of us, who shook their heads and just kept looking away.

"You'll see, Johann, Sasha is…" Klaus started but didn't get the chance to continue.

"The diminutive for Aleksandr", finished the blond Russian boy.

An awkward silence reigned for a few minutes, until Stefan decided to break it.

"Well, we haven't introduced ourselves. I'm Stefan Craiovescu".

"Vladimir Moldoveanu".

"Viktor Sókolov", said the vampire, extending his hand towards Stefan, his accent speaking for him.

"Aleksandr Petrenko, but you can call me Sasha". The blond boy shook my hand firmly and glanced infuriated at Johann, who just stood at the back.

"I'm afraid Yuri will not be joining us until night but meanwhile we can get to know each other", started Viktor. "We know a very nice coffee place near here, or if you prefer, we can visit a tavern, though you'd miss a very interesting Irish cream latte".

"Latte sounds good", I said as we all started our way to the coffee shop.

"By the way, welcome to Russia!"


	9. Chapter 8: Blood Brothers

CHAPTER VIII.- BLOOD BROTHERS.

The ambient inside the coffee shop was far from being quiet. People gathered around circular tables, grabbing firmly their cups with hot liquid inside of them, chatting and laughing without a care in the world. Loners were sitting at the bar, drinking their coffee silently, most of them reading books or newspapers.

We followed our new Russian acquaintances to one of the small tables in which we hardly fit, sitting elbow to elbow. Viktor ordered 6 Irish cream lattes and waited for the waitress to go away before taking his coat off and starting speaking.

"Sorry to drag you all around the Red Square, but it was too dangerous to meet you inside. Things aren't what they used to be; the times are changing".

There it was again, that phrase; my senses sharpened at the very mention of the word "_dangerous_". Klaus straightened in his seat, Johann shifted and Stefan shot a meaningful glance at me.

"We know that, that's why we called you", I exclaimed in a more hostile way than I expected.

"Yes, but…" Viktor's response was interrupted by the waitress appearance carrying a tray with the 6 requested lattes. We all nodded politely and she disappeared behind the bar.

"What I was saying is that you don't know how things have been around here. They've been wrong for a long while now, longer than anywhere else in the world. Volturi spies are constantly roaming around the streets; normal people don't notice them or are too used to seeing suspicious individuals and know better than to mess with them. But my mates and I aren't fooled that easily".

"I wonder what that Italian scum can be doing so far from home. I thought rats couldn't stand the cold", hissed Stefan.

"Rats will be rats; cockroaches can stand almost anything, even a nuclear bomb", responded Viktor with another metaphor.

"But why hasn't anybody done anything about it?" asked Johann, concerned.

"You cannot lock up a criminal before he strikes", explained Viktor, who apparently liked speaking with metaphors. "They haven't done much yet, so there's no way to blame them for anything. They're just waiting, observing, looking for something, perhaps".

Klaus, who had been quiet during the whole conversation, suddenly came to life. "Haven't done _much_? That means they have already done something. And to all that, where is Yuri?"

"He had some things to take care of first. He's not going through his best time, so we decided to give him some space; after all, you don't lose a brother every day".

My body stiffened involuntarily and I unconsciously glanced at Stefan as if I could protect him from any threat just by watching him intently. He sensed my gaze and looked back, smiling discretely.

"Now I understand, someone was missing; I remembered this short-haired boy with a fine nose. I remember him especially because of his unusual hairstyle. He had a small Mohawk, didn't he?" concern hadn't abandoned Johann's voice; on the contrary, the anxiety in his tone was now almost palpable.

"That's Vasiliy, Yuri's brother", confirmed Viktor.

"Sure, how could I forget? He was the youngest of the group…"

"Before Sasha", clarified Viktor. "You'll see, that's part of the problem. Vasiliy's been gone for almost two months now, the same date when the Italian bastards started wandering about".

"Ok, it's an interesting story but I would appreciate if you could start from the beginning", I requested, earning a disapproval glance from Klaus and a raised brow from Viktor.

"We used to be a clan of three when we met Klaus and Johann by coincidence; we were passing by Germany thanks to my job and by '_we_', I mean Yuri, Vasiliy and me. We hadn't found Sasha until a year ago, when I had already quit my former job, so he's quite new. We were just starting to get used to being a clan of four when these Volturi bastards appeared and our territory became threatened; they wanted us to give constant reports on our situation, they tried to find out if we had any abilities they could use but we always refused to cooperate with them. They came to check on us sporadically but one day they came to stay; they seemed to have lost interest in us, just roamed around the city until one day, Vasiliy disappeared". Viktor's eyes got clouded by grief. Sasha looked down at his coffee, which was getting cold.

"We wanted to go hunting but he insisted to stay at home", Viktor went on. "By the time we got back, there was nothing but an empty room and snow scattered over the floor. We looked for Vasiliy for days, though there weren't many trails to follow".

"So you assume the Volturi kidnapped him?" asked Stefan in a business-like tone.

"Who else could it be? We are vampires, not many people could care for our existence", replied Viktor, his brow furrowed in concern.

"What about the people of your old work, Vik?" hazarded Klaus.

"I don't think so, most of them are already dead", the Russian vampire answered.

"What did you use to do?" inquired my mate as if he had just read my mind. Viktor took a sip from his coffee and hesitated before answering.

"I used to be a spy, KGB spy, to be more precise. And when I met Klaus and Johann…well, it wasn't a total coincidence. The Stasi had asked for my services and I couldn't refuse, at least not easily; during those years, I was already in a bit of trouble". It was hard for me to tell if Viktor was actually speaking in an apologetic way because of his cool eyes and calm visage.

"Anyway, most of the people that could give me any trouble are already dead, as I mentioned before".

"So if the Volturi actually kidnapped Vasiliy, what would be their objective? What would they expect to achieve? To pressure you into something, perhaps?" Stefan started thinking out loud, trying to solve the enigma. He didn't know though that Viktor had already solved it on his own. The Russian vampire smiled to him, his eyes reflecting hopelessness for an instant.

"They realised Vasiliy had certain 'abilities'. We didn't know much about them, but we knew that sooner or later, they'd find out. Aro can be many things, but he's not stupid and Vasiliy had certainly a lot of potential".

"What kind of abilities?" Stefan kept on pushing further.

"He could get anything he wanted with a single thought, turn men into puppets just by looking them in the eye. We never knew the real extent of his power but we knew for sure he was strong", Viktor took out a cigarette and lit it. "Still, Yuri was always protecting him".

"I'm sure he was", I muttered, louder than I had planned, turning everyone's attention to me. "I mean…I would if I had a brother", I added in order to get their gazes off of me. Viktor smiled reassuringly.

"You lost your entire clan, right?" Viktor stared at me with his deep eyes like he was looking right through me. "How did you cope with it?"

"Vengeance is the sweetest balsam", I responded in the metaphoric way the Russian seemed to like, gazing down into my coffee, already cold. That seemed to please the Russians since they both smiled.

"Perhaps I shouldn't be saying this but since the incident, Yuri's become more protective of Sasha. He follows him almost everywhere and treats him like he used to do with his blood brother". Sasha shifted uncomfortably to Viktor's words, visibly embarrassed by them. The older vampire took another sip from his cup. "Anyway, you shouldn't mention any of this in front of Yuri; it's a delicate subject for him".

"What is it exactly they shouldn't mention in front of me?"

A hand pressed my shoulder down. I turned around irritated and Stefan adopted a defensive position, as defensive as it could be in such reduced space. Viktor smiled affably, his mouth full of coffee; he downed it quickly so he could receive the newcomer.

"Yuri, _sobrat_! Come join us!"

I slowly turned around to find a pale boy with a smirk in his raspberry-coloured lips. He was even paler than Viktor and his dark hair was very short, military-like. He had small eyes with uncommonly long eyelashes; a small spot adorned the right side of his mouth and very light stubble, almost imperceptible, was starting to form over his upper lip and at his chin. He wore a military-green coat with plush neck. The boy suddenly stretched out over me to grab Sasha's cup with coffee, taking a sip from it just to spit it out.

"_Bog_, this is terribly cold! Why would anyone want to drink it?" The boy put the cup down as Sasha smiled.

Yuri made his way to the other side of our table, grabbed a chair from a nearby spot and sat beside Sasha, reducing the already inhumanly little space we had. I ended up flattened against the wall, with half of Stefan's body over me. Yuri lit a cigarette before looking back at us.

"So, who are these exotically-looking foreigners?"

* * *

_Well, update time! Hope you liked this one. I just wanted to say thank you for the support, your views and reviews certainly make me feel better. I'd love to know more about what you think, so don't hesitate to leave a review!_

_Here are the few foreign words I included. I'm barely starting with Russian, so if there are any corrections you wish to make, I'd gladly accept them._

_Sobrat_-Fellow

_Bog-God_

_Cheers, everyone!_


	10. Chapter 9: New allies, Old enemies

_How are my wonderful readers doing? I bring you more of your (hopefully) favourite Russians, Germans and of course, Romanians! Thanks for the support and to Blood Thirsty Angle for the beautiful reviews. Y u no review sometime? ;) Anyway, back to the reason why you come here. Enjoy!_

* * *

CHAPTER IX: NEW ALLIES, OLD ENEMIES.

The smoke coming out of Yuri's cigarette made my nose wrinkle. Having such a fine sense of smell it was a real pain dealing with strong aromas; I could say it's one of my weaknesses, if I could call it that way, though Stefan says I'm just picky.

"So", Yuri started, smoke coming out of his mouth while he spoke, "you two lost your clan and now are looking for revenge".

Stefan and I nodded. The Russian boy narrowed his eyes and lifted the cigarette to his lips.

"And what do you expect to get from us, precisely?"

"We expect to have you as our allies", answered Stefan in a calm but firm tone. Yuri just kept on narrowing his eyes.

"We never collaborated with the Italians, what makes you think we'd collaborate with you?"

"Yuri…" Viktor scolded the younger vampire.

"No, really, I already lost my brother and I don't intend to lose my clan for someone else who I don't even know!" Yuri seemed quite upset; still, Stefan knew better than to lose his temper.

"We are aware of your loss, that's why we propose you this deal. Klaus and Johann have already agreed to help and I'm sure that with your assistance, we'll soon get a nicely prepared army…"

"Army? You must be insane then. Vampires have used armies against them before and failed", expressed Yuri in self-conceit.

"We know that, we were one of them", I replied, a hard look in my eyes. That made Yuri shut up for a while after which he took a last puff from his cigarette and put it away with a smirk.

"My, my, you really are THOSE Vladimir and Stefan".

I snorted. "Why does everyone doubt about it? Isn't our appearance enough proof of who we are?"

"Impostors abound; they would say anything to drag you into battle. Anyway", Yuri went on, lighting another cigarette, "if you really want our help it'll have to be on our terms, otherwise there'll be no deal". The boy's gaze suddenly drifted away, like he was following something. He quickly stood up, excusing himself and exiting the place abruptly.

"Well, _'manners'_ could hardly be his last name", I expressed sardonically. He had seemed quite rude to me.

"He's just shocked because of Vasiliy's disappearance", added Sasha in a protective way. "I better go after him to make sure everything's alright".

Sasha was standing up when Viktor grabed him by the wrist. "Don't", he said, "he would kill me if he knew I let you go out alone".

"It's ok; I'll just go get him…"

"Aleksandr!" Viktor warned him and Sasha snorted, going back to his seat. "I'll go get him myself".

Viktor exited the place, leaving a resentful Sasha on the table. He glanced up and found me watching him curiously; he gave me a sideways smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"Yuri sees Volturi everywhere", he started, trying to justify his mate's behaviour. "Since Vasiliy's vanishing, I can hardly do anything on my own. Viktor talks about Yuri becoming overprotective but he's not far from being just like him".

I smiled in the most sympathetic way I could manage before turning to the windows on the other side of the place, trying to get a glimpse of our Russian colleague's location.

"You seem so used to human stuff…" I heard Johann say; the boy sounded sincerely astonished with the Russian's behaviour. Sasha chuckled.

"I suppose we got used to pretending. This latte for example; it means nothing to us, just flavoured water, not comparable to blood, but pretending to like it as a human would has saved our lives a few times".

I grew more and more anxious as minutes passed by and neither Yuri nor Viktor returned from wherever they were. Klaus was also alert and so was Stefan; the only ones who seemed completely unaware of danger were Johann and Sasha, deeply concentrated in their conversation.

"Shouldn't we be looking for your friends?" I inquired but then, the door was suddenly opened. Three coated figures entered the room gracefully, one shorter than the others. Their faces were hid thanks to their coat's hoods and they walked randomly around the room. I stiffened when I saw the hands of the shorter figure, thin, delicate hands with a perfect manicure. I quickly glanced down to my coffee, adjusting my own coat around my neck so it covered as much as it could of my hair. Stefan did the same and tried to push me further against the wall so I didn't stand out that much; me and my bloody patent-blond hair. I heard the waitress address the hooded trio, offering them a table.

"It is fine, we're just looking around".

The voice of the shorter figure made my blood boil. I wanted to jump over her and snap her neck right there; I started to tremble anxiously, anger threatening with taking over. Stefan pushed his body harder against mine but I was finding it too hard to control myself.

"Is he ok?" I heard Johann ask. I slowly turned to look at the hooded ones and right when the small figure was about to look my way, Stefan grabbed me by the coat and pushed me to the door, leaving some roubles on the table to pay for the coffees.

* * *

The cold Russian night air hit me like a blade. I felt just as if life had gotten back to me. My body started gradually relaxing as Stefan pulled me away from the coffee shop. When we were at a reasonably safe distance from there, I turned to look at him. I was enraged to say the least, and even when I knew he had saved my life, I was too bewildered to think about it.

"What do you think you're doing?!" I objected, completely out of myself.

"Saving your life! Didn't you see who those guys were?"

"Of course, but apparently you didn't! It was that bitch of Jane and two more Volturi guards!"

"Exactly! If you had done anything, they would've submitted you in a second!"

"That's ridiculous, they were completely off-guarded! We could've taken that girl down once and for all! One less Italian to worry about".

"Yes and one less Romanian!" Stefan rage actually hit me this time, but it was accompanied by concern. I launched myself against my lifetime friend, both falling to the snow. By that time of the night, the thin layer of snow had turned into a considerably thick one, staining our coats as we fought. I was nothing but a mess of teeth and claws and Stefan was doing his best to contain me; more than a fight, it looked like a psychiatrist trying to calm down a mentally ill person. I kept on hitting my mate compulsively until composure started coming back. After my outburst of rage, I felt tired, defeated and layed flat on Stefan's chest.

"I was so close, so close…"

Stefan shyly put his arm over my shoulders.

"You're not a coward, you don't kill someone who is off-guarded", he repeated softly.

"They murdered our family cowardly; they deserve to die the same way…"

"I know, but we're in our way to revenge, we just have to wait…"

"How long, Stefan, how long? I think we've waited enough…"

My mate remained quiet; I knew he understood my impotence and also I knew that seeing me this way was painful for him, but my defences were down when Jane and her guards made their big entrance and things had gotten out of my hands. I had to admit, though, that lying like that was relaxing, in fact, I could do it forever…I lifted my head from Stefan's chest and helped him up.

"We better go looks for the others", I said. "They might be worried".

* * *

"I can't believe you actually agreed to help them".

"What else could I do? They have a point. They have faced the Volturi before; we could get vital information…"

"Don't call them like that! _Volturi…_it makes me sick! They're nothing but scum, don't care for their family name, don't care for anything!"

_*Sigh*_ "Anyway, if you want to have the slightest chance to find Vasiliy, you'll have to make small sacrifices".

"As if that wasn't what I've been doing my whole life…"

"Are you going to help too or not?"

"Yes, yes, whatever…what about Sasha?"

"What's with him?"

"Did he agree?"

"Yes, you're the only one still doubting".

"We've been spies, we know better than to trust people just like that. You're the eldest, you should know".

"I do know! But I'm telling you this is our only chance! Besides, with Sasha's help I don't see why we wouldn't succeed".

_*Gasp*_ "You told them?"

"Of course not, I'm not such an idiot".

"Never said so, just thought you had too much faith on the Romanians".

"They came with the Germans; they're supposed to be trustworthy".

"And since when are those Germans trustworthy? Do I have to remind you in what situation did we meet them?"

"I'm aware of it. Still, I think it's our only chance"

"As long as you haven't told them about Sasha…".

_*Snort*_ "I already told you I haven't! I remind you I created you and I deserve at least a bit of trust".

"It's ok; it's ok; knowing that eases my spirit".

"You just have to trust me. Soon we'll find Vasiliy…"

"…and we'll be able to stop this farce…finally"


	11. Chapter 10: Supressed Desires

_New chapter! I just entered college so perhaps I won't be able to update as often as I'd like to but I'll try my best, I promise. This chapter is the longest one yet, hope I don't bore you with the smut x3_

**WARNINGS: Graphically described violence and sex scenes.**

_Enjoy reading, all you dirty-minded, as much as I did while writing._

* * *

CHAPTER X: Supressed Desires

Johann and Sasha approached us, followed closely by Klaus. The younger German looked worried and out of place; as soon as they spotted us, he hurried his pace.

"Vladimir, are you ok? You two just ran out of the place! Those guys inside the coffee shop…they were Volturi guards! Sasha told me".

"I'm fine; and we knew that, why do you think we stormed out, genius?" I replied coolly. I was just about to ask where the rest of the Russians were when they appeared from the shadows, walking towards us.

"What are you doing out here?" Viktor's tone showed they definitely didn't expect us. I turned to him, suspicion drilling through my mind.

"Perhaps YOU could tell us. What was that whole thing of getting out of the place conveniently before a Volturi patrol entered?" I spat, pointing at the Russian in front of me and feeling Stefan take a step towards me. Viktor raised a brow, incredulous.

"Are you trying to imply we knew _that_ would happen?"

"Why running away if not? You have to admit is too much of a coincidence to go out right when two Volturi guards and one of the evil twins come in. Understand this is just me being cautious; if it were you, I'm sure you'd do the same", I explained in the most calm way I could manage but unable to kick the sarcastic note out of my words. Yuri narrowed his eyes towards me, taking a step forward and readying himself for combat; Stefan automatically moved by my side.

"So you're calling us traitors?"

"Think about it for a minute and tell me what you would do".

"You just called us traitors…"

"I said that if you were in my situation, you'd probably…"

"You Romanian bastard!"

Yuri launched himself against me, pushing me to the ground with his sudden impulse, his sharp claws digging in my clothes and reaching my skin. I growled in pain and rolled over to try and get him off of me. I heard some of our respective coven mates call out our names but neither Yuri nor I could hear them, caught in the heat and frenzy of battle. I bit him hard on the neck, making him howl and squirm underneath me, twisting his body in order to free himself. I maintained my grip tight around the skin of his neck, pressing him against the snow; something in the back of my mind, the conscious part, told me this apparently slender boy presented a threat to us, to our interests, to our mere lifestyle…and I had always been protective of what I cared for.

Yuri started pulling at my locks fiercely, trying to sink his teeth wherever he could but I pushed his head down with my elbow in an attempt to control him; the younger vampire was quite fast and fierce, though experience was on my side and I submitted him, despite the hurt in my scalp and the kicks and scratches my whole body was receiving.

"That's enough!"

I felt arms tighten around me, pulling me back. I freed one of my arms and kept on holding Yuri down with the rest of my body, my teeth firmly attached to his neck, and pushed away whoever was trying to get hold of me. A new pair of hands tried the same and I saw some others pulling Yuri away. Whoever was pulling on Yuri was doing a nice job; my jaws were starting to hurt because of the effort and the pressure augmented with the contrary force exerted from the vampire pulling my opponent in his direction. Soon, I had no other choice but to let go, finally realising that Viktor and Sasha had been pulling Yuri and Stefan and the Germans, trying to submit me. As soon as I made sure Yuri was contained, I freed myself from my captors, baring my teeth to everyone around me, my head heavy, half of the iris of my eyes black thanks to the lack of blood. I picked up my coat and shook the snow off of it; I hadn't even noticed when I had lost it.

Seconds passed and nobody dared make a noise; Yuri was still on the ground, Sasha and Viktor holding each of his arms. I turned around to find a defensive Klaus, a scared Johann and…Stefan was holding one of his arms, piercing me with his gaze, not scared but cautious of coming any near me.

"This is what I was talking about", I heard Yuri hiss. "We can't trust them; with such unexpected reactions, they're certainly no good battle companions".

"He's just hungry", Stefan answered back, his eyes never leaving mine; they were also half black but he had always been more controlled than me. Distress couldn't leave Johann's eyes yet and Klaus was still tense.

"Hungry? What a nice excuse…" Yuri started but was soon appeased by Viktor.

"Yuri! I think it's best if we all go hunting. You know Nikits kaya Street? We'll meet you there once we're done so we can take you to our home".

Yuri didn't seem pleased at all with the fact of taking strangers to his house. Still, Viktor looked hesitant at Klaus and nodded towards him.

"You could go with them and make sure they find the street, you've been here before…"

"I'll be on my own".

Wherever my voice had been hiding, it had come back. Everyone looked at me with wide eyes except for Yuri.

"I do not recommend you walk these streets alone at night, especially if you don't know the place…" started Viktor, but I interrupted him.

"It's just a street, streets have names. I think I'm clever enough to find it".

Viktor looked bewildered for a minute but then he just shrugged and helped Yuri up with Sasha's help.

"See you in a while", muttered Sasha as a goodbye but everyone was too concentrated in their own business to answer anything. Klaus scratched his head.

"Johann, we better get going", said the German but before taking a step, he glanced hesitant at Stefan. "You'll…be fine on your own?" he asked, but Stefan's reply was supressed by mine.

"If you want to go with them, I've got no problem with it. I think some time on my own would do me some good". I swear I wasn't implying anything, I did need to be alone but the way Stefan held his arm concerned me. He waved a hand, dismissively.

"As if I was going to leave you to your own devices", he said as he approached me, slowly; once in place, he turned to Klaus. "We'll be fine, thanks".

Klaus nodded and grabbed Johann by the arm; the boy was stiff and followed reluctantly. I felt a nudge on the ribs.

"Your sweetheart seems worried".

I snorted lazily; wasn't in the mood to play but I wanted to know what was wrong with my mate's arm, so I pointed to it.

"Are you ok?"

He looked at it nonchalantly. Now that he was next to me, I could clearly see the wound that had started to heal already. The skin was lacerated in a pronounced line; the scratch was deep, so much that if my mate hadn't been a vampire, he would've needed proper medical care to not bleed to dead on the snow.

"It's just a scratch. It doesn't even hurt anymore; I forgot I was holding it", responded Stefan carelessly but for the look of the scratch, I was sure it had hurt at the moment. Images of the fight came back to my head, blurry, and I recalled the moment when I had pushed someone away, just when I was all teeth and claws.

"I'm sorry", I said in an almost inaudible voice, still unable to believe I had done that to my mate. He shrugged once again and started walking aimlessly.

"Let's get something to eat".

* * *

The moon shone over the snow, making it gleam in the dark. The trees swayed languidly to the sporadic wind gusts and so did our coats and my hair. We walked lightly over the snow, our feet barely leaving footprints behind us; we were like two spirits, walking down the Russian streets without making a single sound, our presence almost completely unnoticed. Stefan was so quiet I could pretend I was alone if he went out of my vision range. We had walked deep into Moscow's streets and it took a while to find the centre of its nightlife. Though it was already late, young people danced in nightclubs or had a drink in the bars around us; we needed a less crowded place to feed. We passed by a particularly attractive place, so we put on our dark glasses to cover the black iris of our eyes and entered the building.

We didn't have to wait much time until a pair of girls approached us. I thought that was the perfect chance to get distracted and fed.

"What's with the glasses, handsome?" asked me one of the girls, her auburn hair falling in waves and framing her face. Right behind her was a blond girl with tanned skin and green eyes staring at both Stefan and I with a bright smile.

"I'm too sensitive to light", I responded with a shrug. Both girls giggled.

"What about your friend?" asked the red-haired again.

"Conjunctivitis", replied Stefan, indifferent.

"Then you must have the worst of lucks", joked the girl. "I'm Ivya and this is Maya. You two look like you're far from home…"

"Indeed, we just came to visit some friends". I didn't want to give much information, not that they could do anything to us, after all, they were about to become our dinner.

"And have your friends already showed you around?" inquired Ivya.

"We've seen the Kremlin, is beautiful", replied Stefan, making the blond, Maya, giggle in excitement. That made me feel quite uncomfortable for no apparent reason.

"And have they told you about Russian hospitality?" Maya giggled again to her friend's flirting 'kindness'. I forced a smile.

"Sure, but we haven't been able to _experience_ it" I added; if they wanted to play, I certainly knew how to. Both girls laughed at that.

"Well, if you buy us a drink, I'm sure we could show you". Ivya was already approaching the bar and Maya sat beside Stefan, admiring his jacket or something of the likes. A few more drinks and the blond tanned girl was already trying to climb onto Stefan's lap while her red-haired girlfriend stroked my hair and combined her previously good English with some words in Russian.

We soon decided we had heard enough music for the night and ended up making out in an alley. Ivya licked intently at my bottom lip as she kissed me, trying to invade my mouth but for some reason, I had no intention of letting her do it, so I pushed her head towards my neck. She obeyed and started biting and licking and kissing it but I wasn't even paying attention to her caresses. My mind was away, thinking on the Russians and their true intentions and the motives our German 'friends' could've had to contact them; perhaps they trusted them, though I still had plenty of doubts. I thought about the Volturi, the patrol we had come across with, the high-pitched voice I had heard and the delicate hands; I wondered what would've happened if we had stayed at the coffee shop, making hypothesis on my head of the possible endings to that 'reunion'. But over all those thoughts there was one that haunted me the most: Stefan's injured arm, wounded because of me, and on top of that, Stefan's expression right after my fight, the mixture of feelings in his eyes, most of them unknown to me.

My coat and glasses layed on the floor underneath me; Ivya had slowly moved south, kissing my chest, playing with my nipples and stroking my crotch but her touch was foreign to me. I was abstracted in my thoughts, in Stefan's visage to be more precise. He and Maya were making out in the back alley, not very far from where Ivya and I were, far enough for a human ear to hear them but I said nothing about vampires. Both of them had been quiet, I could only perceive the rustle of clothes, the characteristic sound of kissing and more recently, the unzipping of pants that was followed by my own as Ivya took my length out. I wasn't totally comfortable with the idea this time; still, I let her continue. I could sense Stefan's body pressed against the same wall I was lying on, could almost see Maya licking him. The image made me frown but I pushed the uneasiness away and concentrated in Stefan's reactions, tried to picture him…I knew that wasn't exactly what I was supposed to be doing but I just couldn't hold myself back. I could see my mate panting, squirming under the touch of pale hands, my hands, instead of the tanned ones that handled him at the moment. I could hear his slight noises, making me groan a bit louder. I closed my eyes and pressed myself against the wall as if I would be able to touch him with that simple gesture. I felt the wetness of a tongue against my skin, followed by the dampness of a mouth, closing itself around my member. I gasped and I swore I could hear Stefan do the same thing right after me. The cold and hard sensation of the wall behind my back contrasted with the soft, warm feeling of the mouth that moved closer and then further away from my crotch. I could almost feel the thin lips against me, the perfect teeth of _that_ perfect mouth; I also pictured the smoothness of the dark hair, a bit damp from the snow that had started to fall again, the pale, masculine hands that would move with expertise over my length. I was panting harder now and I heard my mate's low groans on the other side of the wall, pushing me closer to the edge.

I shut my eyes tighter, afraid that if I opened them, the enchantment would break and I would find the redhead before me instead of the smooth, slightly dishevelled, dark hair I yearned for. I knew it was wrong, I knew his groans were due to the blond Russian he was making out with but I didn't want to think about it at the time; I just focused on them, imagining they were thanks to me, picturing his grip on my locks, the coldness of his skin, the raged pulsation of his no-longer-beating heart, one of his hands stroking my length…his groans increased as if he had read my mind, making me moan louder, both becoming a panting and moaning mess. Suddenly, he let out a higher-pitched moan and that was all I needed to find release, groaning on my side of the wall, choking on his name behind sealed teeth. He came the second after I did, loudly; it was the most pleasant noise I'd ever heard and I made sure it was properly stored in my memory as I slowly opened my eyes and pushed the redhead off of me; I didn't want to see her face covered in cum, so I zipped myself up and just grabbed her by the neck. She gasped but was too drunk to do anything else. I sunk my teeth in her neck, tore her throat apart, letting the blood wash over me, licking it avidly, draining her entire body, dismembering it, chewing on the flesh to get as much fluid as I could. She didn't make a sound, I didn't bother confirming her death before tearing her body apart; I yearned for the blood, anything to get rid of the guilt of picturing my lifetime friend while getting a blowjob. When I finished, I threw the body to the snowy ground; Ivya's vocal chords layed exposed as well as her trachea, her clothes ragged. It was a pitiful sight which I didn't bother to behold for much time. I turned around and found Stefan standing at the end of the alley, pacing his gaze between me and my 'creation'. He had an indecipherable expression on his face.

"I can see you had fun", he said, a smirk playing at his lips. It was a bit hard for me to look him in the eye after what had just happened but still I managed to nudge him and smile. I thought of mocking about his noises but that would just make him wonder why I had listened to them so intently, so I just started walking out of the alley.

"Was she enough?" he asked, taking me by surprise.

"Enough what?"

"Enough blood, obviously. We can't do much if she wasn't enough in…the other way".

Stefan didn't seem to notice the uneasiness written all over my face. Because, how do you explain you got fully satisfied by thinking in your coven mate? I swallowed and kept on walking.

"Hey, Romeo, Nikits kaya is this way".

I turned around and walked in the direction Stefan had pointed. I straightened the neck of my coat to cover my face and walked a bit faster. Stefan didn't seem uncomfortable at all, which led me to the conclusion that my previous sexual experience hadn't been shared. I kept on gazing at the front, never turning to look in my friend's way. Suddenly, I felt a grip on my arm. I turned, bewildered to find an amused Stefan.

"We have to turn here. Are you ok?"

I nodded and was about to start walking again when Stefan pressed me against a wall; his burgundy eyes gleamed under the moonlight, giving him a fiercer appearance and also a very mysterious one. I felt tightness in my pants and cursed myself and his proximity but tried to keep a cool visage. He narrowed his eyes and studied my face a bit more, trying to find in my eyes what I didn't express with words. He exhaled almost imperceptibly and I felt the sweet breeze caress my face, the tightness increasing as my mate drew himself closer to me. His face was just inches away from mine, beautiful eyes staring right through me, delicate lips pressed in a thin line, the same lips I had pictured sliding along my dick…by that time, I was pretty sure Stefan had already felt the lump in my crotch and just when I was about to give up, he let go of me, smirking and walking to the street we were supposed to meet the others. I followed him silently, intrigued, not knowing whether to feel grateful or damned.


End file.
